A Dark Turnabout
by PierceTheVeils
Summary: Lana knew there was no way Ema could have killed Neil Marshall, but she wasn't able to stop the case from going to court. So she did the second best thing she knew: asked Mia Fey to defend. Short case, written in honor of Mia's dying day.
1. Pre-Trial

Chapter One: Pre-Trial

The courthouse entrance loomed above, tall and imposing. Next to it, Detective Lana Sky felt small. Weak. Inconsequential. She couldn't shake the feeling as she entered the sacred hall, passing the godlike statue of Lady Justice.

It wasn't her first time here. She'd testified as the lead detective of many a case, from assault to arson, manslaughter to murder. But this case was more.

This case had Ema.

Lana could have avoided this. She knew. If she'd just erased Ema's name, gotten her away from the scene, she could get Joe Darke to _finally_ take the fall for his crimes. He couldn't avoid the law forever. Lana and the police had to lock him up before any more people were killed.

But... she couldn't. Something from another world had stopped her. A warning.

If she broke the law and framed Darke, what made her different from him? They were both criminals. Letting Darke go free would haunt her for eternity, but so would catching him illegally.

So she did the second best thing she could, to save Ema. She let the trial go forward, hiring the best defense attorney she knew.

Mia Fey.

Her friend had had a rough start in the courtroom, but she'd settled into a steady pattern since. A pattern of taking truly innocent clients and doing everything she could to shield them, building a reputation as the fierce-hearted protector of all who sought her counsel. A guardian angel of justice.

They'd known each other since college. That should reassure Lana far more than it did, as she studied the brunette from afar.

"Calm down, Lana. I'm the one standing in court here."

The detective jumped, staring her old friend straight in the face. "I-I just want to make sure Ema's alright. This arrest has been hard on her, she hasn't spoken since. Surely there's no reason to think she actually-"

"I don't believe it for a second," Mia insisted. "Everyone on the police force knows your sister. The only one who can possibly be serious about this charge is that prosecutor."

"Payne," Lana growled. "That fool hasn't been able to prosecute decently since you beat him in court ten months ago."

She knew her aggression towards him wasn't warranted. He was a good prosecutor, even if his defeat against a "rookie" had set him on edge for a while. Another reason she'd matched him against Mia.

No, she was upset with her partner. Damon had been the first detective to arrive on the scene after her. He was the one leading the case against Ema.

How could he? He knew her personally.

"I know Payne hasn't had the best record recently, but that's no reason to underestimate him," Mia replied. "Do you have to testify?"

"I do. I was the first to the scene, after all."

"Are you the first witness?"

"I don't think so. It's probably going to be Damon."

Mia sighed. "Remember: don't hold back. Ema is innocent no matter what you say. If the judge decides you're lying, you could get in trouble, too. That would only make things worse."

"How can I testify against my sister?" Lana cracked, throwing her hands on Mia's shoulders. "I'm her guardian. I'm supposed to take care of her."

"You _are_ taking care of her. By ensuring Ema receives a fair trial that can determine her innocence without any doubts. You did the right thing, coming to me."

Out of nowhere, the bailiff invited Mia into the Defendant Lobby. "Ema's waiting for me."

It was all Lana could do not to run in there. She was her guardian, she ought to be with her.

But she couldn't. She was a witness.

So she walked off to the courtroom gallery, where she would have to sit there. And wait. And worry.

Why was trusting Mia so hard? They'd been friends for years. More than that, at one point. If anyone was going to save Ema, she would.

But in truth, she hadn't seen Mia the same way for months now. Not since that sexist bastard had...

No. She had a trial to wait for. It was no time to think ill of the dead. For the love of her sister, she had to focus on the trial.

She could only hope the police were in alliance against Darke.

"Detective Skye."

Lana turned around, coming face to face with Jake Marshall. He'd been one of the detectives assigned to the string of murders last September. The police referred to the incident as SL-9.

"Detective Marshall. I'm... very sorry for your loss. I worked with your brother on a couple cases before. He was a good prosecutor."

"One of the best, pardner," Marshall corrected her. "He deserved that award. More than that Edgeworth."

It'd been a close call, between the two men. In the end, the Prosecutor's Office had chosen to honor Marshall because he had more experience. Lana was glad, for Prosecutor Edgeworth was said to be a true nightmare to work with. He talked down to every detective who tried to assist him, and every single one walked out with a smaller salary than before. The only detectives who didn't detest him were Gumshoe and Badd.

"I can't believe he's gone. I know I saw it, but... I don't know what to say."

"It's fine, Skye. I know it wasn' your sister. No one's really gonna throw her in hoosegow."

"I hope not. I don't understand why they even arrested her. What was Damon thinking?"

Marshall shrugged. "You two saw the shootdown. Not me. I just wanted to check on you, pardner. And keep an eye on Darke."

"He must be the killer. I just know it's him. He was being questioned, and he wanted to escape. He and Prosecutor Marshall struggled in my office, and he killed Marshall in the fight. Ema was just a witness."

The man in the cowboy hat raised his hands in surrender. "I'm taking your word for it, pardner. I just wanna make sure my brother gets his justice."

"So do I."

 _But if what I said was true... How was Darke knocked out? It couldn't have been Neil Marshall. He would already be dead. It's the whole reason they suspect Ema. If Mia can find away around that, we can take Darke out once and for all._

 _And if she can't... I'll never live with myself._

"May all relevant parties make their way to the courtroom for the case of State vs. Skye. It will be held in Courtroom No. 8 in five minutes, Judge Chambers presiding. Once again, my all relevant parties make their way to Courtroom No. 8 for State vs. Skye."

"Showdown's about to start. Let's not be late, Skye."

And with that, they stepped in together. Right before the gavel fell.

* * *

 **A/N's: Expect this story to be pretty short. I just wanted to write a quick case in honor of Turnabout Sisters and Mia Fey, who dies this evening (9/6/2016 at 8:57pm). What better way to celebrate the occasion than showing her in alive court for one of my favorite cases?**

 **I did have to make it a bit AU, though. I can't see Mia ever agreeing to defend Joe Darke. I also took one of my fills on the kink meme and expanded it for the occasion. Anyone who's read the fill, please know I didn't plagerize it.**

 **So, what do you think is going to happen, now that Lana didn't take the bait? How will Payne and Mia handle the case? What are the implications for Rise from the Ashes? All these questions and more will be answered in the next few chapters.**

 **Thanks for reading, please review, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	2. Trial Former

Chapter Two: Trial Former  


Lana Skye and Jake Marshall made it into the gallery right as the doors were closing. They stood still at the bailiff's call, not finding a seat until the judge struck his gavel.

"Court is now in session for the trial of Ema Skye."

Lana kept her eyes on the judge, watching his white beard shake as he spoke. She'd testified before him before. He was a good judge, if easily led. She couldn't remember a case where she'd thought his verdict was unjust.

"The prosecution is ready, Your-" Payne stopped speaking mid-sentence. "It's _you_!"

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Mia's voice rang out loud and clear. She had the confidence to acknowledge the prosecutor, nodding in his direction. "Good morning, Prosecutor Payne."

"Gngh!"

"Well, it appears both sides are ready to begin. The prosecution may give their open statement."

"Prosecutor Payne? Your opening statement, please."

"Ah! Yes. Yes, Your Honor. Right away:

"Two days ago, on February 19th, the Prosecutor's Office lost one of their own. The victim, Neil Marshall, was a young prosecutor. That evening, he was found impaled to death on a suit of armor within Criminal Affairs. Thanks to evidence found at the scene, the police chose to arrest Ema Skye, on a single count of involuntary manslaughter."

"Manslaughter?" the judge's eyes went wide. "The police don't consider this case to be an act of murder?"

"No, Your Honor. As witnesses to the crime will tell you, they have reason to believe this death was a mistake. Also, the defendant is a minor, and is being offered a reduced sentence, should she plead guilty now."

" **OBJECTION**! My client did not cause the death of Neil Marshall. There is no need to discuss sentencing."

Oh, Mia. Right out the gate, as passionate as ever. It almost made Lana smile.

Unbidden, Lana thought back to when she first hired Mia, and she and Ema were being consulted about a plea bargain. If Lana signed it on Ema's behalf, she would face the minimum sentence of six months in juvenile detention. It was the best offer she was going to get, short of a full acquittal.

Lana had been hesitant, but Mia was sure. Her client had done no wrong. A plea bargain was an admission of defeat.

Now, Ema could be facing up to four years in a county jail. She was fourteen, and they were trying her like she was an adult. Had Lana missed her chance?

"The prosecution would like to call their first witness, Detective Damon Gant, to the stand."

 _How could you do this?!_ Lana wanted to scream. Luckily, she held her tongue.

"Witness! Please state your name and occupation for the record."

"But of course! I'm none other than Detective Damon Gant of Criminal Affairs. Perhaps you know me best as a member of the Legendary Duo?" Well, he was merry as ever.

"Really?" The judge's eyes were wide. "Who is the other member of this duo of legend?"

"That would be Detective Lana Skye, Your Honor." Payne answered. "She's testified before you many times, sir."

"Detective Gant, what will you be testifying about?" Mia steered the question back to the matter at hand.

"Ah yes, the testimony. I call it... 'The Night at Criminal Affairs'.

"Prior to the incident, Nelly and I had been questioning a suspect when the man escaped, running into my office.

"Immediately, Nelly gave chase to our suspect. I showed up a few minutes after.

"When I arrived at the scene, I saw Nelly, impaled on a suit of armor. It caught my attention right away.

"Next, I noticed both the suspect we'd been questioning and the defendant, unconscious on the floor. Nearby was a broken jar, stained with blood."

The gallery whispered. Not a very conclusive testimony, they said. That made Lana a little happier. Maybe Damon really was going easy on Ema. He knew her well enough to know she'd never do this, even on accident.

"The prosecution would like to submit the suit of armor and the jar fragments to the Court Record, Your Honor," Prosecutor Payne said.

To that, the judge nodded. "Very well. Miss Fey, your cross-examination please."

"One question, before I begin. Either the witness or the prosecutor is free to answer," Mia pulled out a sheet of paper, tapping it with her finger. "This suspect, the witness and victim were questioning... who was it?"

Payne began to sweat. He was not looking forward to this part of the trial. "Ah, you see. That is..."

"Joe Darke. The primary suspect in the string of murders that occurred last September."

And with that, the gallery exploded.

"What? Joe Darke? They have a dead body with _Joe Darke_ in the same room, and they think the girl did it?!"

"Outrageous."

"Why isn't he the one on trial?"

The bang of the gavel sounded throughout the courtroom, accompanied by the judge's voice.

"Order! Order in the court! The prosecution will explain their choice in defendants soon. For now, the defense will conduct her cross examination. Are you ready, Miss Fey?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

A flailing prosecutor, a testimony highlighting Darke... the police were going to great lengths to portray him as the guilty party. Without looking suspicious, of course.

Lana knew she should be happy about this. Joe Darke was a mass murderer, who needed to pay for his crimes. So why did this not sit right?

"Now, will the good detective repeat his testimony?"

"Of course, Milly! Right away.

 _"Prior to the incident, Nelly and I had been questioning a suspect when the man escaped, running into my office."_

" **HOLD IT!** Is it correct that you and Detective Skye share this office?"

"Certainly is."

"And was the defendant in your office while the interrogation was going on?"

"I believe so. She was waiting for her sister to finish work, if I recall."

"The court will note that the defendant was present at the scene of the crime when it occurred." Payne patted the spot on his forehead where the toupee used to be. Lana didn't know when he'd decided to cut his hair, but she was glad. This looked much more professional.

"Not quite, Mr. Payne," Mia warned. "We haven't gotten to the actual crime yet. Detective?"

"Oh, right-o! Where was I...

 _"Immediately, Nelly gave chase to our suspect. I showed up a few minutes after."_

" **HOLD IT!** Why did you lag behind the victim?"

"I was raising the alarm, naturally. Reporting the escape of a suspect is mandatory procedure down at Criminal Affairs." Suddenly, his face fell. "Had I known what was going to happen, I would have stuck to Nelly like glue."

"I'm sorry to hear that Detective. Please, don't blame yourself for this crime."

"Thank you, Udgey. Now if I may-"

" **HOLD IT!** "

"Yes? What is it, dear Milly?"

"Detective Gant! The information you shared just know is vital to our understanding of the case! Please add it to your testimony."

"Of course:

 _"I didn't go with him in the chase because I felt the need to raise an alarm."_

" **HOLD IT!** How did you go about raising this alarm?"

"Called it in to the rest of the police department, naturally. A third of the police force had reached Criminal Affairs within the hour." Then he drooped. "Pity they weren't quick enough."

"Witness, that's quite enough! Please, stop blaming yourself for the incident. And Miss Fey, that's quite enough on the matter."

"Yes, Your Honor." It sounded like she was talking through her teeth.

"Wait, something's not right," Lana realized. She hadn't mean to whisper aloud, but Marshall clearly heard her.

"What is it?"

"I was the first on the scene, after Marshall. Gant showed up a few minutes later, _and then_ we went to go raise the alarm. Together."

"Why, that's mighty suspicious! Good catch, pardner. I say you grill 'em in your testimony."

 _What could this mean? What could Damon possibly have to hide, here?_

 _And that's not all that's strange... What's wrong with this case?_

"...and that ends the cross-examination, Your Honor." Mia's voice rang out loud and clear, disrupting her thoughts. "But there's one this I still don't understand. Why was the defendant believed to have committed this crime?"

"You still can't see it, little lady?" Payne sniggered. "Oh, I thought it was readily apparent. I guess you're still a rookie after all."

A desk slam. "What are claiming, Prosecutor Payne? What do you think I've missed?"

"Do you not recall the detective's testimony, Miss Fey? Did you miss the bit about the broken jar?"

"So it was knocked over in the struggle between the victim and Darke. What of it?"

"The prosecution would like to submit the broken jar as evidence. Please enter it into the Court Record so the defense may understand her folly."

 _Oh no. Not this._

It took her a second, to catch on. "Wha- this piece! This broken piece has-"

"The name Ema, written in blood."

* * *

 **A/N's: Dun dun dunnnnnn! And the bloody jar is entered into evidence! Whatever will Mia Fey do?**

 **Ah, I wish I could have updated this during the Turnabout Sister trial days. Ah well. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, anyway.** **I think I'll have Lana testify next chapter, after a little break. She needs to have a little chat with her partner...**

 **But ohmygosh guys, have you started SoJ? I just played the first case (No spoilers, please!) and it's looking great. Ahlbi is just the cutest thing ever. I can't wait to talk about the game when I finish it. But it'll take forever because I have school. Stupid school.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading, glad to hear people are excited, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	3. Trial Middle

Chapter Three: Trial Middle

Mia Fey stared at the piece of evidence in shock. "What... how could this-"

"The victim knew Darke would be our first suspect. He had to be sure the police arrested the right person. So he wrote the name of his killer on the first thing he had available to him: the jar fragment."

"But... anyone could have written this! Maybe Darke wrote it with the victim's blood to remove suspicion."

Payne shook his head. "Not possible, I'm afraid. Joe Darke collapsed on the other side of the room from the victim. He was unconscious before any of the witnesses arrived. Furthermore, he had none of the victim's blood on his body, which would have been the case if he were the one to impale the victim. There is also no conceivable reason for the defendant herself to write her own name at the scene. The only logical explanation is that this was the work of the victim."

"Do you have any objections, Miss Fey?"

Silence. Lana didn't know what else she was expecting. It wasn't realistic to think Mia would have something to combat Payne with right off the bat, but she could hope, right?

"Very well then, the witness will step down. Prosecutor Payne?"

"The prosecution wishes to call their next witness, Detective Lana Skye to the stand. But first, we have some changes to make to her testimony."

"Oh! Well then, the court will adjourn for a... ten minute recess. Will that be enough time?"

"That would be splendid, Udgey!" _Why is he the one to respond?_

And that was that. The judge threw down his gavel, and recess had begun. Lana just had to know what this was about.

"Well, pardner. Sounds like Payne has some business with ya. Wouldn' do well for the trial to keep him waiting."

And so the detective made her way to the Prosecutor's Lobby, No. 5 to be exact. But when she got there, Prosecutor Payne was nowhere to be found.

"Lana. Over here."

"Damon!" she almost ran into him. He stared at her intently, saying nothing else. "Where's the prosecutor?"

"In the bathroom. He just didn't want to say that during the trial, so he asked me to do this instead."

"Do what?"

"Tell you about what needs to be done. Edgeworth would have been easier to convince than Payne, but I had to work with what the Chief gave me. Lana... we can't let Darke go free."

"I know we can't, but... you heard the prosecutor! He was out on the other side of the room when Marshall died! How is that possible?"

"There is a way, Lana. And you know what it is."

"No, I don't!" she broke down, grabbing handfuls of clothing off Damon's chest. "I don't know how to protect Ema and still give her a fair trial. I-I don't know what I'd do if she was found Guilty."

"Lana... you were the first on the scene, after Marshall. If you saw something that explained the contradiction, the case would be won."

"But I didn't see anything! I got to the crime scene, and I saw Marshall impaled, Darke collapsed off tot the side... and Ema, passed out from shock. She hasn't said a word since the murder."

"What if that wasn't all you saw?" Lana looked up at his words. He couldn't be suggesting...

"No, it was. I'm sure of it. When I got there, everyone was out."

"But imagine this: if Darke were still awake when you arrived, about to kill Ema, and you knocked him out with the element of surprise, what about the case would change?"

"I can't do that!"

"Lana!" he was shouting at her now. "You're a detective! It's your job to catch criminals. Darke is a criminal. Ema is not. Why do you even have to think about this?"

"It isn't right, to commit perjury just to catch the right guy. That's not the purpose of our courts."

"We don't live in a perfect world, Lana. You of all people should realize this by now. Remember: we're not the criminals here. Darke's the one trying to do us wrong. All we have to do is make it right," he sighed. "Come on, partner! We don't have much time!"

"I... I have to see Ema. Payne can come find me, if he even needed to talk to me at all."

Lana walked away, arms crossed and head hung. Could she really do this? Was she really willing to lie on the stand to bring the truth to light?

Would that really find her the truth? Lies beget lies, not truth. That's what Mia would say.

But Mia had changed, since Lana knew her in college. Back then, they'd been inseparable. Campus power couple, joined at the hip to fight crime from both sides. How naive they were.

There were no sides in crime. Only those who did it, and those that sought to stop them. Anyone else, by omission, was a supporter of criminals.

She wondered if she could convince Mia, to go along with her story. More likely, Mia would convince her to stick to the truth, and she would be forced to watch as Ema suffered through a long and harrowing trial that no one could predict the end of.

But... Lana hated to admit it, but Damon was right. She had the power to end the trial the way it ought to. Even if Darke was, somehow, not the killer in this case, he'd taken the lives of several innocents. And Ema was a child. Lana knew her sister better than that. She would never hurt anyone, not even on accident.

It was Ema... or Darke. There was no other way this trial could end. Lana saw that now.

Now if only Mia could see it that way.

She meant to visit Mia before the recess was over. She did. She needed to explain to her what was going to happen, so Mia would know what to do. She could only assume Damon would do the same thing for Prosecutor Payne.

Lana would never be sure about this in her entire life, if she was doing the right thing. She'd altered no evidence... only pointed the finger of justice in the right direction.

Surely, there was nothing wrong with that?

* * *

 **A/N's: I'd like to apologize for my suckines now. I tried restarting this chapter so many times, but it never feels right. I still don't like how it turned out. It'll probably be edited sometime in the future.**

 **That said, I hope you enjoy anyway. I don't wanna sit on it anymore.**

 **In other news, I'm on Case Four of SoJ. Loving it so much. Not gonna lie, Case Three messed me up in the head. So many feels. I can only imagine what the fifth case is gonna do to me.**

 **Also, Plans are being made to start the second case of AAI3! Hope everyone's ready for The Hacked Turnabout, because we plan to outdo ourselves on this one, and every case after it. Unlike this story, I will ensure top quality in this team's work, for the sake of living up to the beauty that is AA canon.**

 **Hope you all are excited for that. Thanks for still reading, please review with suggestions, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	4. Trial Latter

Chapter Four: Trial Latter

"Court is back in session for the trial of Ema Skye."

"The defense is ready, Your Honor."

"The prosecution is also ready, Your Honor."

 _The witness is not ready, Your Honor._ Lana wanted to run. She wanted this trial to be over. She didn't want to lie. She wanted Ema to go free.

Unfortunately, she couldn't have it all.

"Witness, please state your name and occupation."

She turned to the prosecutor. He didn't look as smug as he normally did, especially when looking at her. Could it be that he actually felt sorry for her? That he actually had a heart, and didn't want to prosecute her sister?

 _"I had to work with what the Chief gave me_."

He hadn't chosen to take this case. He was an innocent, in all this. Did he even know what Damon wanted to do?

"Witness!"

"Yes, Prosecutor Payne?"

"Your name and occupation, if you will.

She put on a brave face, saluting from the witness stand. "Lana Skye, detective."

"There we go. And you will be testifying about...?"

"Arriving at the scene of the crime. I was first... after Marshall, that is."

"Very good. And what did you see when you first arrived?"

Oh no. This question. Could she... was she really going to lie on the stand? Would Mia believe her? Should she hope that she did? Well, what if she-

"Witness! Your testimony, please." It was the judge this time. He looked genuinely concerned for her. What was she going to do?

"I..." she paused, trying to decide. "I saw... my colleague's body, impaled on the suit of armor in my shared office with Damon Gant. The two of us... we worked together, on many a case."

"And?" She knew what the prosecutor wanted her to say. She just didn't know if she could bring herself to do it.

"And... Ema. On the floor nearby. She was... unconscious. When I first showed up... I panicked. I thought she was dead too. And now... she isn't the killer! I know it!"

" **OBJECTION!** Detective Skye, tell us what you saw! I didn't ask for your 'professional opinion', so don't give it. Although, in this case, you can hardly be considered a professional, can you?"

" **OBJECTION!** Your Honor, the defense objects to the prosecutions attacks regarding the witness." Mia came to her aid. It only made Lana feel worse. "The defendant in this case is her little sister. Surely you can understand why she's on edge?"

The judge nodded. "I certainly can. Detective Skye, please do your best to calm down and give objective testimony from now on."

"Yes, Your Honor." No one seemed to notice that she hadn't included Darke's position. What was the best way to go about the matter...?

If she mentioned it too early, Mia would get suspicious. She'd already gone over Lana's account with her in the days before the trial. As had Payne. If she were to change her testimony, she'd need to have a reason why... if she did it at all.

She took a deep breath. "Your Honor... I'm ready to give my testimony. I call it... 'Arrival at the Crime Scene'."

She didn't even wait for the court stenographer before she dove in. "I was working on another case when the interrogation was going on. I didn't know about the escaped suspect until later.

"As I was walking back to my office to pick up Ema, I heard the commotion, and ran the rest of the way.

"When I got there... Ema was unconscious on the ground, next to the body. One look, and I knew he was dead.

"...Damon showed up a bit after. We confirmed that Marshall was dead and Ema unconscious, and reported the crime together."

Mia gave her an odd look as she finished. She knew what the woman wanted to ask her, but couldn't bring herself to say anything. no doubt she'd be asked about it during the cross examination. She wanted to delay her choice as long as possible.

She looked up into the gallery, locking eyes with Damon Gant. He gave her a slight nod, fully expecting her to go along with his plan.

She turned her gaze to Jake Marshall, who also nodded his approval. Was he in on it t- no, wait. He was looking forward to the reporting inconsistency. That's right. _I need to stop being so paranoid._ If she didn't, she was bound to crack up here. And _that_ certainly wouldn't do Ema any favors.

 _I'm doing this for Ema... I need to be strong._

But what exactly was she doing for Ema? Lying for her? Doubting her? Hiding the truth for her sake?

Lana knew she didn't do it. But she had no idea how Darke could have done it, either. And those were her only possible suspects in this crime.

Weren't they?

"...may begin your cross-examination."

 _Oh no._

Lana faltered when repeating her testimony. It took her forever to get through her first statement, and by the time she reached her second, Mia was already pressing her.

" **HOLD IT!** Lan- Detective Skye, can you describe the commotion you heard?"

She thought back to the very moment she realized something was wrong. "I heard a loud crashing sound, then running. Now that I see the evidence-"

"No need to make assumptions, Detective," Mia interrupted. "Only testify as to what you witnessed. That said... the defense believes the witness heard the struggle as it was happening!"

"That isn't news, Miss Fey. Are you such a greenhorn that you even can't keep up?" Payne sniggered, then continued. "The witness was the first on the scene. it only makes sense she heard the struggle that lead to the death of the victim."

"And how does the prosecution propose that the defendant caused the death of the victim?"

"Witness, what was the state of the room when you first arrived?"

"...I could only see Ema and Marshall, with the light from the door. It was open. The rest of the room... was dark."

"Thank you." Payne pat his forehead, then gestured at the defense. "Don't you see?"

"...No. What are you talking about?"

"The police believe Neil Marshall got into a struggle with the runaway suspect when Darke reached the office. The defendant, dozing off in the dark, woke up to two men she didn't know, fighting. She panicked, pushing them apart. Stumbling, Neil Marshall fell into the suit of armor, impaling himself." The prosecutor sighed, no longer smiling. "That is why this case was ruled to be manslaughter, not murder. No one thinks the defendant harbored murderous intent towards Prosecutor Marshall."

"And what does she have to say about this?"

"Nothing, as you must be aware. The defendant hasn't said a word since the incident."

Mia was silent for a moment. "I see. Detective, will you continue your testimony?"

Lana nodded hesitantly, not saying anything at all. Slowly, she moved on to her third statement. "When I got there... Ema was unconscious on the ground, next to the body. One look, and I knew he was dead."

" **HOLD IT!** Detective Skye, how were you able to tell that Prosecutor Marshall was dead?"

Was Mia kidding her right now? "His torso had a knife in it. There was so much blood."

"Detective Skye, are sure the victim was dead when you arrived?"

"Yes. I've dealt with enough cases to know."

"And how long did it take you to reach your office after you heard the crash and running?"

"Less than a minute. I got there as fast as I could."

"Well, that's odd." Mia pursed her lips, biting back a smile. Lana knew that look.

"Miss Fey, is there a contradiction in this witness's account of the crime?"

"There is, Your Honor. If Lana showed up so soon after the struggle, and the victim was dead on arrival, he wouldn't have had time to write 'Ema' in blood!" She smacked the bench with her hands, then pulled out the Crime Scene Photo. "Furthermore, there's no sign of blood on Prosecutor Marshall's hands. No way he was the one to write this message!"

" **OBJECTION!"** Payne was sweating now. "But nobody else in the room could have done it! If the victim didn't leave that message, who did?"

"Hm... Detective Skye, was this message in blood on the jar fragment when you showed up?"

"I..." This could be her chance. She just had to lead Mia in the right direction. Even if it meant... "I didn't see it until my partner pointed it out to me, during the investigation. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't."

"That's not very conclusive." The judge was giving her the eye.

"I'm sorry, Your Honor. I... didn't have much time to check the crime scene. I don't want to testify to something I didn't witness."

"I understand, Detective. Thank you, for that." Mia would ask too many questions if she said she saw Darke awake. Lana needed her to come to that conclusion on her own.

"Well, the prosecution maintains that the message was there when the witness showed up!" Payne was insistent on the matter. "Unless the defense can prove otherwise?"

Mia was silent on the matter, hand to her mouth. "Detective Skye, you can continue your testimony."

She wasn't going to ask about Darke? Or was she just waiting. "Got it M-Miss Fey. '...Damon showed up a bit after. We confirmed that Marshall was dead and Ema unconscious, and reported the crime together.'"

" **HOLD IT!** You mention checking the victim and the defendant, but what of the escaped suspect, Joe Darke? Who checked him?"

"I..." Here it came. The lie. "I didn't know he was there when I first arrived. It was dark, and he was on the other side of the room. Detective Gant explained to me what happened when we were reporting the dead body."

Another desk slam. "You didn't check the status of Joe Darke?!"

"...No. Like I said, I didn't know he was there."

The gallery erupted into chatter. Lana sweated, even though they were saying exactly was she wanted them to. If she didn't _know_ Darke was unconscious at the time, what's there to say he was?

"Is Detective Gant still here? I'd like to ask him a question."

There was a shuffling in the gallery as he came down to the stand. Lana stepped aside as her partner retook the stand. "Yes, Milly?"

"When did the police check for consciousness?"

"After the incident report was revised by my partner and I. We came back, and he was waking back up. He told us what happened."

Also a lie. It came so easily, for her partner. Should she be concerned?

"Are you telling me the only evidence you have of a suspected mass murderer being unable to kill another man is his word?!"

"Why, Detectives! That's highly irresponsible of you! The judge scolded them. Playing along, Damon hung his head. Lana was quick to do the same.

Mia wasn't helping. "What's to say this man wasn't only hiding when Detective Skye showed up on the scene? Then, when these two went to report the death, he wrote the message in blood, wiped it up with something, and only pretended to be unconscious?"

" **OBJECTION!** " Payne was furious. "Detectives, how could you be so stupid?!"

"I didn't know Darke was in my office!" Lana defended herself, then turned away. "Is this whole case... really my fault?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Lana." Her partner put a gloved hand on her shoulder. "I only glanced in his direction, and assumed you knocked him out on arrival. It's my fault as well."

The judge brought his gavel down. "Well, this case has taken quite a turn. It seems the case against the defendant isn't so solid after all. I'm afraid further investigation may be-"

"Wait just a minute, Udgey!" Gant's eyes were wide. It looked to exaggerated to be real. "If the suspect wasn't unconscious at the time of the murder... that changes the meaning of-"

"The meaning of what?!" The prosecutor was hysterical. Not that Lana could blame him. She almost felt bad, for what she was doing.

"I found a piece of Nelly's vest in Darke's hand as he was 'waking up'." He produced the cloth in a plastic bag for the court. "I thought he'd ripped it off in the fight, but look!"

Mia held it up to the light."There's traces of blood on this cloth!" She turned to Lana. "Was this piece of cloth attached to the victim when you entered the room?"

No. She turned to Gant. "Why didn't you tell me you had it?"

"You were taking care of your sister when I found it. I knew this case wasn't going to be assigned to you, so I took it straight to the prosecution."

"You never brought that evidence to me!" Payne objected.

"Damon-"

Gant shrugged. "You rejected it as evidence, insisting you didn't need it." He gave her that look. The same one he had when he asked her to lie about Darke in the first place. "Why, is there something odd about where it was found?"

"It... There were no rips in the victim's clothing when I saw the body."

Another explosion of chatter. The judge had to order them to be silent before continuing.

"Order! Order!" The judge couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I can't believe it!"

"That proves it, Your Honor!" Mia was pushing their case forward, like Lana knew she would. "Joe Darke wrote 'Ema' on the jar i the victim's blood, ripped off a part of his vest, and used it to wipe his hands clean!"

"And to think, we nearly let a mass murderer slip by." Gant shook his head. "I'll accept any penalty you wish, Udgey. The mistakes are all mine, not my partner's."

"No! I'm the one who didn't see him!" Lana had to bring it home. "I'm at fault here, too!"

"It seems this case truly was born of a misunderstanding," the judge shook his head. "As of now, there's no evidence of the defendant being responsible for the crime. Where is Joe Darke now, by any chance?"

"..."

"Well, Detectives?"

"Last I knew, they had resumed their interrogation of him for the previous string of murders. The prosecution opted not to have him called to the courthouse as a witness."

"Well, I suppose the police will simply have to continue the investigation for their case against Joe Darke. In the meantime, I'm ready to render my verdict."

Payne was shivering. He was too busy believing he let a murderer go free.

"This court finds the defendant, Ema Skye...

"Not Guilty."

Lana sighed, knowing the Chief of Police had a beatdown waiting for them.

But it didn't matter. Ema was free, and that was all she wanted.

Right?

* * *

 **A/N's: Yes, yes. I left a glaring contradiction in this case. But I don't even know why I came back to finish it in the first place. Not my best by far. Either way, hope you enjoyed.**


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